1800 199 302
Western Australia’s self-employed economy is dominated by two things banks handle badly: mining service contracts with lumpy payment cycles, and broadacre farming with income that arrives once a year. Neither looks good on a tax return read in isolation. A low doc car loan assesses the business instead.
CarFund arranges vehicle finance for WA ABN holders without tax returns. Up to $500,000, usually pre-approved within 24 hours. Get a free quote in 5 minutes.
Who We Finance in WA
- Mining and resources contractors — Pilbara and Goldfields service businesses running light vehicles, and the Perth-based companies supporting them
- FIFO sole traders and subcontractors — high income, irregular structure, often poorly served by mainstream lenders
- Broadacre farming — Wheatbelt croppers whose income lands in one lump after harvest
- Perth metro trades — construction and maintenance across the northern and southern corridors
- South West operators — Bunbury, Busselton and Margaret River tourism, viticulture and trades
What Makes a WA Car Purchase Different
Vehicle licence duty runs on a sliding scale
Western Australia charges vehicle licence duty on the dutiable value, using a progressive sliding scale for lighter passenger vehicles — the rate itself increases with value across a band, rather than stepping between fixed tiers. Heavy vehicles are treated separately and capped.
The practical effect: at the upper end of the light-vehicle range, the duty rate climbs as the price climbs. On an expensive vehicle the duty difference between two price points can be larger than buyers expect. Confirm current rates with the WA Department of Transport before committing.
Distance changes the vehicle, and the loan
A vehicle working out of Karratha or Kalgoorlie lives a harder life than the same vehicle in Perth. That affects resale value at the end of the term, which affects how you should think about balloon payments. A large balloon on a vehicle that will have done 300,000 hard kilometres is a problem waiting at the end of the loan.
We would rather structure the term realistically at the start than refinance a shortfall in four years.
Buying east
WA buyers frequently purchase interstate where local supply is short, then transport the vehicle across. This is routine for us — we handle the inspection, the payment to the seller and the settlement regardless of which state the vehicle is in.
How a Low Doc Car Loan Works in WA
What you need:
- An active ABN — 12 months preferred, 6 months considered by some lenders
- Reasonable credit history
- Business bank statements or BAS, generally 3 to 6 months
- Details of the vehicle
What you don’t need:
- Personal or business tax returns
- Profit and loss statements
- An accountant’s declaration
Under $150,000, most WA applications proceed with no income documentation.
Property Owners: No Doc Finance
If you own residential property, you may qualify for a no doc car loan with no income evidence at all. Property equity provides the lender’s security position and removes documentation from the assessment entirely. Approval is often same day.
This applies to regional WA property as well as Perth metro, though remote property is assessed case by case.
Non-property owners still have low doc options — more documentation, slightly higher pricing, no tax returns either way.
Vehicles and Equipment We Finance
- Dual cabs and utes — HiLux, Ranger, D-MAX, Triton, Amarok
- Mine-spec and fitted-out 4WDs
- Vans and light commercials
- Tippers, tilt trays and light trucks
- Trailers, floats and towable plant
Dealer, private, auction and interstate purchases are all handled routinely.
Loan Structures
Chattel mortgage
The standard structure for ABN holders. You own the vehicle from settlement and the lender registers a mortgage over it. GST-registered businesses can generally claim the GST on the purchase price in the next BAS, with interest and depreciation deductible in line with business use.
Finance lease
The lender owns the asset and leases it to you; lease payments are generally deductible.
Commercial hire purchase
Possession immediately, ownership after the final payment.
Your accountant should confirm which structure fits your business — particularly relevant for farming entities and trusts, which are common in WA.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m a FIFO subcontractor. Does that count as self-employed?
If you hold an ABN and invoice for your work, yes. This is a very common profile for us.
My farm income arrives once a year. Is that a problem?
No. Seasonal and lumpy income is precisely the situation low doc lending exists to handle. It is a problem for a bank reading a tax return, not for a specialist lender assessing the business.
Can you finance a vehicle I’m buying in another state?
Yes, routinely. Interstate purchase is common for WA buyers and we manage the process end to end.
Should I take a balloon payment?
It depends on how hard the vehicle will work and what it will be worth at the end. For high-kilometre remote-area vehicles we usually recommend a smaller balloon or none. We will talk it through rather than default to the biggest one available.
Does a quote affect my credit score?
No.
Get a Low Doc Car Loan Quote for WA
Over 20 years arranging finance for self-employed Australians, with a lender panel including Macquarie Bank and Capital Finance. Self-employed borrowers are the entire business.
Get your free quote in 5 minutes or call 1800 199 302.
For the full detail on how these loans work, read our guide to the low doc car loan.